Executive rejects DUP bid to overturn minister's Israel trade block

Caoimhe Archibald ordered her department not to fund companies providing weapons for the Israeli government

A DUP move to block a decision by the Sinn Féin economy minister to prevent trade talks with Israel has failed at Stormont.

The party had used a call in petition to challenge the decision by Caoimhe Archibald, but it was rejected in a vote around the executive table.

The four Sinn Féin ministers were joined by the two Alliance ministers in supporting the decision taken by Archibald.

Afterwards Archibald said her decision was about ensuring there was "no enabling of the genocide against the people of Gaza".

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly accused the Sinn Féin minister of "grandstanding"

She added: "I'm determined to do everything in my power to defend human rights and uphold international law in supporting the defenceless people of Gaza and Palestine who are suffering the horrors of genocide."

But the DUP's Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly accused the Sinn Fein minister of "grandstanding".

"We can not have politically motivated trade policy been set due to the political views of that minister" she added.

"The discussion today highlighted that there is no consensus on these issues, there is clear division and very strong views."

The deputy first minister said the decision was controversial and should have been subject to executive approval.

'Waste of time'

Meanwhile, Alliance leader Naomi Long described the executive discussion as a "waste of time".

"All of this is more of the performative stuff which we have seen in recent days and I don't think it is helpful," she said.

"We spent an hour this morning with people giving pre-rehearsed speeches and yet we can't get papers through that would make a difference to peoples lives, there is a backlog of executive papers we can't get cleared."

Analysis: 'Lots of heat but not much light'

For some this is a classic Stormont bubble story which will generate lots of heat but not much light.

For the DUP, deploying this little-used mechanism is about calling out a minister who has overstepped her powers.

But for Sinn Fein, this is nothing more than a political stunt wasting valuable executive time on the eve of a challenging budget.

Whatever way you read it, it is yet another example of how toxic relations have become around the executive table.